Behind the villans mask
by swimming-toon-lover
Summary: The titans set out to face Slade, but this is hard after Ara's vision. Will the titans finally know for sure what's behind the copper and... black? Can Robin ever trust in good again, and will he ever be Robin again?
1. Chapter 1

Ok so I'm sure if anyone read Visions, (hint hint) they are really angry at my twist. I just thought it was a neat possibility. No worries though I work it out!! Plz keep reading I explain everything!

Oh yeah and I don't own Teen Titans or Batman. No matter how many pennies I waste in wells and fountains wishing it were true.

Behind the villains mask pt. 1

They walked into the works, gears turning, pistons churning as ever.

"Ah, I see you've found me. Very good Robin."

"Slade!" shouted Robin. "Where are you? Show yourself!"

Slade seemed to be ignoring him and continued, stepping out into view.

"Terra, back with the team after all. And of course Ara, you decided to stay too. One big happy family, how touching."

"That's it!" yelled Robin. "Whatever you're up to this time, we're here to stop you. Titans, Go!" They all flew forward and attacked. The battle raged on. Robin was the first to reach Slade. He pulled out his bow staff and made to bring it down on Slade's head, but as was to be expected Slade dodged it. But he dodged it straight into a face to face encounter with a T-rex. The dinosaur roared and Slade leapt up to kick it in the nose. But as he reached optimum height, Cyborg was sitting on BB's head. He blasted Slade with his sonic cannon, and Slade went flying backward. He flipped in mid-air and landed on his feet, as he stood, the ground beneath him began to shake. The piece he was standing on rose up, and glowed yellow. He jumped off but was caught by Ravens power. She floated in front of him. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" He was flung into the air. As he was falling he attempted another flip, but a barrage of green and turquoise star bolts rained down, making movement quite impossible. He landed hard in a corner, and the titans quickly had him surrounded.

"I see seven really is a lucky number." He said. He started to reach for his arm, to push his unbelievably effective escape mechanism. "You're gonna need a new escape route." Said Cyborg. He hit Slade with one last sonic cannon and he fell, unconscious, to the floor.

Robin took a step forward.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked Raven.

"Yeah man, maybe you shouldn't-"Cyborg was cut off by Robin.

"No, I need to do this." He moved toward the unmoving figure, reached out a hand, and removed the mask that notoriously elusive face, and fell back.

"No." he whispered. "NO!" this time was much louder. He turned and ran.

"Robin!" Starfire cried after him. They all turned to look at the ground where lay, Bruce Wayne.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RS

The titans had split up. Starfire had gone to find Robin, Terra, BB, and Cy had taken Slade to the police station in the interrogation room commissioner Gordon had been more than happy to let them have, no questions asked, and Raven and Ara had gone back to the tower to inform all honorary titans of Slade's capture.

Starfire flew above the Gotham streets. She knew where she would find Robin, but figured keeping an eye out along the way couldn't hurt. She came to an old, decomposing arena. The iron gate had a sign above it. "Gotham Circus. Home of the Flying Graysons." She sighed and floated inside.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BBT

"Yes that's right, he captured." Said Raven to Bumblebee, the rest of the Titans East behind her.

"Any idea who he is?" Bumblebee asked. Raven faltered a bit.

"We're not sure." She said. "Still working on it." Bumblebee could tell Raven wasn't telling her something but she didn't push the issue.

"Ok," she said. "Tell Sparky I say hi. Bumblebee out." the screen went black.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RS

"Robin?" Starfire said softly.

"After this, he was all I had." He said, not moving. "He took me in, raised me, trained me." He whispered the last words. "Of course we were the same."

Star flew over and sat next to him.

"When I was very small, my parents were killed. My knorfka, (wow guessing there) Galfor, raised and trained me too. My sister and I were trained against each other as no one else would be permitted to fight one of royalty. Although it was never intended to do so, it created the rift between my sister and me. When she became angered and plotted her revenge I was truly saddened. I did not think I would ever trust good again, or forgive my self for letting her go so far astray." Robin finally looked up at her.

"But just when I was ready to give up, a very good friend helped me to think that everything would be okay, and that the world really is a good a beautiful place." She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder, but he moved away.

"It may seem like it, but it's not the same." He said, but he knew it was nearly identical.

"Robin," she began pleadingly.

"Do they have him?" he asked stiffly.

"Yes." She said dejectedly.

"Take me." He said, and so they left.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RS

The interrogation room was more than easy to come by. As Robin and Starfire entered they passed Commissioner Gordon, and he waved at them.

"Good to see you again, M'boy!" he said jovially, clapping him on the shoulder. Robin just kept walking and Star gave him an apologetic look.

"Hey man, are you sure you wanna-"Robin stormed through the observation room, ignoring Cyborg. Everyone, including Raven and Ara, returned from the tower, moved toward the 2-way mirror to watch.

Slade was sitting at the table, head down and mask less.

"Why?" was all that Robin said.

Bruce didn't move.

"Tell me why you did this!" Robin exploded, slamming his fist on the table.

"Why." Bruce whispered. "I have no idea why. I don't even know what was happening half of the time."

"And the other half?"

"The other half, I was not myself."

"How did this happen?" asked Robin, quiet again.

"I created Slade because he could get closer to villains than Batman ever could."

Robin gave an involuntary shudder, remembering his stint as red-x for the very same reason.

"I started out fine, and then the ratio turned. I was Slade more and more, until finally, he was me."

"And the whole apprentice deal?"

"Doesn't it make sense? After you were red-x, I realized that we were a better pair than I had ever imagined. If you were my sidekick as Batman, why not apprentice as Slade?"

Robin was astonished, but hid it well. "And Terra?"

"You weren't consumed by the evil, you're friends saved you. I had none to save me. Then there was Terra, unfathomable power, no control, needing a teacher. You left a void, Dick; I never realized how much having someone to mentor completed me. But you were gone, Slade or Batman. Terra was on her own, an orphan, shunned by the rest of the world, perfect. But then you and you're friends stepped in and once again, love and friendship foiled my plans, and destroyed me."

"But you came back." Said Robin, his voice shaking slightly.

"Yes, only this time, something broke through. The compassion, fighting with you, like old times. But it was quickly stifled. And now," he looked around the room. "Here we are." He paused again.

"So Dick, how did you do it? Great friends, perfect record, and what seems like the perfect girl, a feat I never achieved, but then I always led a double life. You got rid of Dick forever didn't you?"

"You got rid of Bruce, and Batman. You got rid of good." Robin turned and left the room.

"We can't send him to jail, or Arkem." Raven said.

"Bruce has been gone long enough, we can take him to the titan center." Said Robin.

"Dude, no one is ever there." Said BB.

"Exactly, no one can know he's Bruce. He can be saved." Said Robin. "I know it."

He made to leave.

"Where are you going man?" asked Cyborg. Robin stopped.

"I need to be alone. He said not turning around.

"But Robin." Pleaded Starfire. But the door shut behind him, and she hung her head.

**So there's part one. Please review. It makes me feel good. And read the conclusion too. It will be up soon as it's winter break and all. YAY!**

**Stl**


	2. pt II

Yeah! Someone reviewed! Go Crazy-Monkey92! You're my new hero! Anyway this is the second part of the Behind the villains mask story, it's mushy-er and I don't think as good but hey, it's not really my opinion that counts, it's yours! So read and review, they make me feel happy, who doesn't like them?

I so don't own teen titans (Oh and if anyone read my titans song, I really didn't intend to change it that much and it really wasn't supposed to be funny, I was just bored. Meh.)

Pt. II

"Robin? Robin?! Oh please do not do this again." Starfire's voice rang through the searching titans communicators.

"He said he wanted to be alone." Said Raven. Starfire felt slightly annoyed and her friends indifference to the situation, but then she was usually like this.

"Yeah, but that was four days ago, and he's never checked in!" replied BB.

"It's true, he has been gone an abnormally long amount of time." Said Ara.

"I don't know where he could be." Added Cyborg. "We've covered the manor and the circus."

"And the tower, and the observatory." Said Terra.

"All his haunts." Said Raven, still monotone, to Starfire's chagrin.

"We must try harder!" she exclaimed. "We must locate our friend!"

"Starfire, we have two cities to search. We're doing the best we can." Said Cyborg. She landed in the group they had formed back at the Gotham police station.

"We know he ditched his communicator," said Terra. "We found it already."

"We know he's been to the manor, he left his uniform there." Said Ara.

"And we know he's been to the tower, because we found his transmission."

_Flashback_

"_Look here guys! I found something." Terra called out._

"_It looks like we've got a message." Said Cyborg. He pushed a button and Robin's face appeared on screen._

"_Titans, I have my own battle to fight for awhile, don't worry, I'll only be fighting myself. Don't try and find me, you won't be able to. I'll check in with you guys soon enough. I no longer go by the name Robin. I guess, well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." _

_The transmission cut out. Starfire flew off to her room, tears welling up in her emerald eyes. It was when she flung herself onto her pillow that she found an envelope, with her name on it. _

_Starfire,_

_I know that this is harder on you than any of the others. I'm sorry to put you through all this. I'm going to tell you how to find me, but don't come right away, and don't bring the others. Give it four days. I'll be at my family's old house. I never stayed there much, but it works for now. It's in Gotham, on Cherry Street. I'm sorry to put you through all this, but I want you to know that I really care about you, more than you might think. I'll talk to you soon._

_Dick_

Four days later she flew along the Gotham streets once more, Clutching Robins letter in her hands. When she finally reached Cherry Street she was slightly surprised at the disrepair the neighborhood seemed to be in. The house all looked as though they had been quite nice at some point, but with age and neglect, no longer were. The house on the end corner had a light on in the 2nd story window.

She entered through the unlocked door and proceeded up the stairs. She looked into the lit room and saw a boy sitting, in normal clothes, on the end of a dusty bed.

"Robin?" she whispered tentatively. He didn't answer. She fully entered the room and sat down next to him. He turned to face her, his startlingly blue eyes unmasked. She touched his cheek, looking into the seemingly endless pools.

"Starfire." He whispered. He kissed her. It was the last thing she had expected, but somehow, it seemed only natural. When they broke apart they continued to stare at one another. Finally she broke the silence.

"Robin, I do not understand why you are shutting everyone out?" she continued to ignore his request not to be called Robin. She had known him as nothing else. "Surely you have learned from the last time-"He stopped her.

"Starfire, I know, I'm sorry, but I can't help it. This is the way I am. I don't know for sure if I even want to be a titan anymore." He looked down at the dust covered floor.

"I do not think that is what you really want." She said, lifting his head back up by his chin. "Perhaps now is the time to become Nightwing, but it is not the time to give up." He stared at her again.

"Starfire, I…"

"I understand this is, difficult, but all is not lost. There is still good in him, and I am still here. We, your friends, are all still here. You will not abandon us; I know that you are stronger than that." She beamed at him and gave her a faint smile in return. He had never seen her so profound, and determined, and loving. But then he had, all along.

"You're right." He said, standing up. "I think it's time for us to go home." He made to leave, but stopped and turned back.

"Oh, and call me, Nightwing." He reached out for her hand and she took it, and they left.

**Woo! It's done. Now it's time for Titans Forever, my favorite story and I am so excited! Its way longer than these have been, and I would greatly appreciate anyone reading it. Anyhoo, I hope you liked it.**

**Stl.**


End file.
